Means for packing articles for shipment



March 18, 1952 ZlMMERMAN 2,590,071

MEANS FOR PACKING ARTICLES FOR SHIPMENT Filed 00%,. 14, 1948 FIG. 2

SHAW/HIM HARRY F. ZlMMERMAN Patented Mar. 18, 1952 MEANS FOR PACKING ARTICLES FOR SHIPMENT Harry F. Zimmerman, Towson, Md., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, Towson, Md.', a

corporation of Delaware Application October 14, 1948, Serial No. 54,469

7 Claims.

This invention relates to means for packing articles for shipment'in a knock-down condition and particularly to the packing of articles such as tables or the like.

In the television industry the smaller television receivers are of a size which necessitates their support upon a table or similar article of furniture. Some manufacturers'mark'et such sets together with supports in the form of tables which may be purchased with the set if the customer desires. These supports are generally in the form of square four-legged tables without tops, the television set fitting downwardly to a certain extent within the square body or frame of the support. The'shipping of such supports gives rise to several problems. It is desirable that shipping space befe'conom'ized. Furthermore, the support is not particularly rigid when set up without a television receiver in place. It is desirable to maintain all portions of each support in one package. It is "necessary that the finish be protected against marring both from external contacts and by relative movement of parts of the same support.

It is an object of this invention to provide means-for packing such articles and articles of a similar nature in a knock-down form in which the various elements of the article provide'mutual support and which protests the article from marring due to contact with outside objects and contact between elements of the article.

It is a further object of the invention to provide,

as anarticle of manufacture, a one piece pad for use in 'the packing of tables and similar articles a knock-down form, which pad may besimply made by stamping or die cutting from inexpe'h sive materials.

These objects are attained by the use in each corner of therectangular upper portion or frame of the support or table, of-a packing-pad formed from a'single piece of cardboard or similar material, the pad having flange-like portionsextendingove'r the top and bottom of the corner portion and being provided with two openings for re ceiving theends of two legs of the support. The legs are nested within the rectangular portion of the support, two legs being placed along each diagonal'w'ith their ends inserted into the holes of the corner pads.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification, when taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1'isa view, in perspective, of a support packed inaccordance with the "invention; I

Fig; 2i'sa plan view of a rectangularshe'et of form.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a supporting means for a television receiving set or the like; comprising a square or rectangular frame l0 and four, slender, square legs H. In each corner of the frame I0 is placed a pad l2, which may be formed of cardboard, corrugated paper board, or a similar material. The legs of the support are paired and secured within the frame, each pair of le s extending between opposite corners of the frame and parallel to a respective diagonal thereof. The ends of the legs are secured in the pads l2 in the corners of the frame in a manner to be described.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each pad I2 is formed by stamping or die cutting from a single rectangular sheet of material which is bent along the lines I4 and 5 to the shape of a C. Near each end of the piece a pointed flap I6 is out and the corners of the piece are folded back and tucked under the flap as shown in Fig. 3. Abutting one of the lines M or I5 and equally spaced from the center line of the piece, rectangular flaps l l are cut and bent back as shown in Fig. 3,'leaving openings 18.

The pad, when completed to the form shown in Fig. 3, is ready for insertion in the corners of the frame-l0 in the manner shown in Fig. l, with the flange portions l8 overlying the top and bottom edges of the frame. In this position the flanges, particularly the thickened pointed portions thereof formed byinserting the corners under the flaps I6, protect the frame against marring from outside contacts, since they actto'form a cushion between the frame and its surrounding packing box or crate. The edges of the pointed portions extend outward from the flat sides of the frame and act as cushioning spaces between these sides and the sides of a packing fbox. Since they are of foldedmaterial they are strong enough to withstand the ordinary shocks encountered in shipment without collapsing.

Thehole's l-8 receive the ends of the legs, the legs acting to maintain the pads in place. As the-holes I'Bare not centered in the-pad, but'abut one "of the lines "I4 or IE, they appear near the top or-bottom of the frame I'll when the padsare in place. This-facilitatesthe arrangement of the legs so-that the'ydo not touch'where the two pairs cross atthe center of the -frame. There are two possible arrangements of pads to secure this re sult. In one arrangement the pads coacting with one pair of legs are placed with their holes near the top edge of the frame and the pads coacting with the other pair of legs are arranged with their holes near the bottom edge of the frame. In the other arrangement the two pads coacting with each pair of legs are placed with their holes near opposite edges of the frame. In either arrangement legs of normal size do not touch where they cross.

It will be noted that an article of the type illustrated, when packed in accordance with the invention occupies the least possible space. Furthermore, the parts support each other, yet their finished surfaces do not touch. Also protection against exterior contacts is afforded in every direction.

The invention is applicable to tables with tops, which may be packed in abutting relationship with the frame, with the finished surface of the top preferably turned toward the frame, from which it is cushioned by the flange portions of the pads.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to a square article, it can also be applied to articles of a rectangular or other form, providing interior points are available within the frame between which the legs may be placed against pads in the manner shown. The invention can be applied to articles of a polygonal form or even to round tables with the pads placed at opposed points of the frame.

While holes are shown formed in the pads to receive the ends'of the legs, they may be replaced by indentations or other deformations of the pad material.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a packing pad comprising a rectangular sheet of self-supporting, deformable material bent along two substantially parallel lines to the shape of the letter C, a flap out near each end of said sheet with its free end eXtending toward the adjacent end of the sheet, the corners of said sheet being bent back and inserted under the one of said flaps adjacent thereto, the central portion of said sheet having formed therein a pair of openings, said openings being symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal center line of said sheet and being adjacent one of said parallel lines.

2. A knocked-down shipping assembly formed from an article which normally comprises an open-ended polygonal frame supported on a plurality of legs: said assembly comprising said frame; padding members located within said frame at opposed corners thereof, each of said padding members embracing the side wall of said frame; and said legs; said legs extending between said opposed corners with their ends secured by said padding members against movement, said legs being in non-touching relation with respect to each other.

3. A knocked-down shipping assembly formed from an article which normally comprises an open-ended continuous sided frame supported on a plurality of legs: said assembly comprising said frame; a plurality of padding members located within said frame at opposing points along the periphery thereof, said members embracing the side walls of said frame at said points; and said legs; said legs extending between said opposed points with their ends secured by said padding members against movement, said legs being in non-touching relation with respect to each other.

4. A knocked-down shipping assembly formed an article which normally comprises an openended rectangular frame supported on four legs: said assembly. comprising said frame; a padding member located within said frame at each of said corners, each of said padding members embracing the side wall of said frame; and said legs; said legs extending between said opposed corners with their ends secured by said padding members against movement, said legs being in non-touching relation with respect to each other.

5. A knocked-down ship-ping assembly formed from an article which normally comprises an open-ended rectangular frame supported on four legs: said assembly comprising said frame; a padding member located within said frame at each of said corners, each of said padding members embracing; the side wall of said frame; and said legs; said legs extending in pairs along diagonals of said rectangular frame, the ends of said legs being secured by said padding members against movement, said legs being in nontouching relation with respect to each other.

6. A knocked-down shipping assembly formed from an article whichnormally comprises an open-ended rectangular frame supported on four legs: said assembly comprising said frame; a padding member located within said frame at each of said corners, said padding members each having a fiat central portion terminating at both its ends in a flange, said flanges extending outwardly and embracing the side walls of said frame at the junction of said walls which forms the corner at which said member is located; and said legs; said legs extending in pairs along diagonals of said rectangular frame, the ends of said legs being received in openings formed in said members, said legs being secured thereby againstmovement and bein held in non-touching relation with respect to each other.

7. A knocked-down shipping assembly formed from an article which normally comprises an open-ended polygonal frame supported on a plurality of legs: said assembly comprising said frame; padding members located within said frame at opposed corners thereof, each of said padding members being formed from a rectangular sheet of material with the end portions thereof bent outwardly to form flanges embracing the side walls of said frame at their junction which forms the corner at which said pad is located, the corners of the free ends of said flanges being bent back to shape said ends into a V shape with the sides of the V extending beyond and parallel to the sides of said frame; and said legs; said legs extending between said opposed corners with their ends secured by said padding members against movement, said legs being in non-touching relation with respect to each other.

HARRY F. ZIMMERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 191,792 Wright June 12, 1877 896,907 Haskell Aug. 25, 1908 1,484,895 McMullen Feb. 26, 1924 2,271,265 Kirby Jan. 27,-1942 

